Hindus Across the Oceans · Indonesia

Prambanan — The Shiva Temple of Java प्रम्बानन

9th century Yogyakarta, Java UNESCO World Heritage

Prambanan, on the island of Java near Yogyakarta, is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. Built in the ninth century, it is dedicated to the Trimurti — Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva — with the central Shiva shrine rising some 47 metres.

History

  1. c. 850Built under the Mataram kingdom, traditionally linked with King Rakai Pikatan.
  2. 10th centuryThe court moves to East Java; the temples are gradually abandoned.
  3. 1549A major earthquake damages the complex.
  4. 1918 onwardsReconstruction begins; the main Shiva temple is restored by 1953.
  5. 1991Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  6. 2006Damaged by an earthquake and restored again.

Hindu life today

The balustrades of the Shiva and Brahma temples carry a continuous relief of the Ramayana, continued on the Krishna story at the Vishnu temple. Smaller shrines honour the vahanas — Nandi, Garuda and Hamsa.

Today Prambanan is a place of worship for Indonesia's Hindu minority on festivals, and its open-air stage hosts the famous Ramayana ballet on moonlit nights — performed mostly by Muslim Javanese artists, a sign of how deeply the epic belongs to Java's culture.

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Prambanan?

Near Yogyakarta on the island of Java, Indonesia.

Which gods are worshipped at Prambanan?

The Trimurti — Shiva (the central temple), Vishnu and Brahma.

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